Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer software and, more specifically, to an interactive design variations interface.
Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of software applications are currently available to end-users, including computer-aided design (CAD) applications, three-dimensional (3D) modeling applications, simulation and optimization applications, and rendering applications, among others. Many of these software applications allow an end-user to interact with the software application via a graphical end-user interface (GUI). Conventional GUIs often provide the end-user with access to a set of tools that can be used to perform various operations within a workspace generated by the software application. For example, a 3D modeling and rendering application could provide a set of tools that could be used to generate images having different lighting conditions, object properties, etc. In another example, an architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) application could provide a set of tools that could be used to prepare and optimize engineering designs. Each tool in these sets of tools may include a number of variables that the end-user could specify in order to modify generated images and engineering designs.
Despite advances in enabling end-users to more easily operate complex applications, learning how to use such applications can still be problematic. More complex applications, such as the 3D modeling and AEC applications described above, often include thousands of variables that can be modified by the end-user to generate images and/or optimize designs. In addition to having to keep track of such a large number of variables, predicting how changing or tweaking any one variable associated with a complex design would impact a rendered image or design objective is usually quite difficult. Consequently, generating a design of acceptable quality by varying the different application variables may require hundreds or thousands of design and rendering iterations, where each iteration requires significant time to change the relevant variable(s) and render the associated image (e.g., minutes or hours per iteration). Moreover, less experienced users may not understand how modifying various application variables affects image quality or a particular design objective. Such users, therefore, may not be able to generate quality designs regardless of the number of design and rendering iterations performed.
As the foregoing illustrates, there is a need in the art for a more effective way to enable application end-users to generate higher-quality designs.